Daeun found herself brushing her fingertips over the bumps and ridges of the canvas, areas where Luhan had swished the brush angrily against the backing. She admired the small, feathered contrasted with the bolder, more vibrant splatters of vivid colour and sighed gustily. After two years living with her new family, the usually doe-eyed, cheerful boy never uttered a single word to her. He ignored her presence completely, choosing to send her blank looks over the dinner table instead.

“What are you doing?” Luhan’s voice cut through the air like whips of ice. Daeun whirled around, startled and almost toppled over into a delicate vase.

“I-I’m sorry, I’ll go now, I was just curious-“ she cut herself off as she noticed Luhan’s expression get even stormier. “Um I’ll make it up to you in slave labour, I promise I didn’t-“

“Which one do you like the best?”

“W-what?” Daeun’s voice came out an almost inaudible whisper.

Luhan clicked his tongue in frustration and rolled his eyes. He repeated his question, this time more slowly as if he were addressing a child. “Which. One. Do. You. Like. Better?”

Daeun let her eyes roam over each painting until it landed on one that lay in the corner, gathering dust. It was a portrait of a girl with cascading, bronze locks and sweet dimples. She was undeniably beautiful.

“That one.” Daeun’s voice was firm.

“Out of all, this?” Luhan chuckled bitterly as he picked up the painting, handling it with roughness. “She was my ex.”

“Oh I’m sorry I didn’t mean to-“

“We were worlds apart,” Luhan said brusquely. “She was going to go to law school, she was in the New York ballet, I was just a mopey painter with no direction in life.”

“That should’ve been enough for her to stay.”

“What?” It was Luhan’s turn to be surprised.

“Love, it should’ve been enough.” Daeun repeated, this time with a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Just like this is enough.”

And for the first time, Luhan lets the girl fill the empty void in his heart with sunshine as she pressed her soft, plump lips against his.

“Into my world.”